Fruit Blast Smoothie

Fruit Blast Smoothie

1 plum, pitted
1 orange, sliced
2 handfuls of seedless grapes
1 banana
4 T grape juice
1 c frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients in Vita-Mix or blender and mix well on high
speed. May add ice for thicker smoothie.

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Raw Carrot Soup

Raw Carrot Soup

2 cups hot Homemade Vegetable Broth

1/2 c chopped almonds

1 c fresh parsley

2 to 3 T Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 c shredded carrot

1/4 c finely chopped green onions

In Vita-Mix or blender, place first four ingredients. Mix well, then blend

in carrots to desired consistency. Pour into bowls and garnish with

green onions.

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Homemade Vegetable Broth

Homemade Vegetable Broth

8 to 10 cups distilled water

2 onions

2 to 3 garlic cloves

3 carrots

3 to 4 celery stalks

2 potatoes with skin

1/2 c parsley

1 t thyme

1 t basil

1 T Bragg Liquid Aminos

Cut all vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Place in large soup pot and add

seasonings. Sauté in small amount of water until slightly tender.

Cover with distilled water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and

simmer for one hour. Cool and strain broth, discarding vegetables.

Broth may be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for one week.

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Cucumber Sandwiches

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 large cucumbers, shredded and drained
1 package Good Seasons Blue Cheese Dressing mix
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
Mix cheese, dry dressing mix and mayonnaise. Fold in cucumbers. Refrigerator sandwiches and
leftover sandwich spread

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Vegetable Stock

To 4 qts. water allow 1 pint lentils, or rather less than 1 pint haricots. In addition allow 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 onion, and
1/4 head of celery. Clean apple peelings and cores, and any fresh vegetable cuttings may also be added with
advantage. For white stock, use the white haricot beans, rice, or macaroni in place of lentils or brown haricots. Soak
the pulse Overnight, and simmer with the vegetables for 4 hours. Any stock not used should be emptied out of the
stockpot, and boiled up afresh each day.

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Chinese Fried Rice

Yield: 4 Servings
4 c Rice, leftover; cold
6 sl Bacon; cooked,crumbled OR-
1/4 c BACOs
1 T Sugar, white
3 T Soy sauce dark
3 Eggs
4 Green onions; including
- green, sliced
1/4 c Peas, frozen (optional)
- Bacon drippings or oil
Cut bacon into cubes and cook until crisp. Drain but keep drippings.
Set bacon aside.
Beat 3 eggs in bowl with a little water until well blended Heat wok
over med high temp, pour 1 Tbl bacon fat drippings into wok. Pour eggs
in wok, scramble until set and remove and set aside.
Place 2 Tbl bacon fat drippings into wok. Place cold rice into wok and
stir fry for 2 - 3 mins. Add sugar and soy sauce, stir fry until
uniform in color. Add green onions, (peas - optional), bacon and cooked
eggs. Stir fry for another minute, serve hot.
You can add any other meats such as leftover cooked pork, chicken, ham,
etc. Add with the green onions and peas.
MEATLESS VERSION
Follow above except use peanut oil instead of bacon drippings. Replace
bacon with 1/4 cup of BACOS or BACO chips.

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Chicken Flavored Rice Mix

Yield: 1 Serving
4 c Uncooked Long Grain Rice
1 t Salt
2 t Dried Parsley Flakes
4 T Instant Chicken Bouillon
2 t Dried Tarragon
1/4 t White Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until evenly
distributed. Put about 1 1/3 cups into three 1-pint containers and
label as Chicken-Flavored Rice Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use
within 6 to 8 months.
Makes about 4 cups of mix.
CHICKEN-FLAVORED RICE: Mix 1 1/3 cups CHICKEN-FLAVORED RICE MIX with
cups cold water and 1 T butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring
water to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat and cook for
15 to 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

4 small to medium green, red, or yellow sweet peppers
1 cup cooked converted rice
1 15-oz. can chili beans with chili gravy
1 15-oz. can or 2 8-oz. cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)


Directions
1. Remove tops, membranes, and seeds from sweet peppers. Chop enough tops to make 1/3 cup; set aside. If necessary, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper so they sit flat. In a medium bowl stir together rice and undrained beans; spoon into peppers. Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of a 4 1/2-, 5- or 6-quart slow cooker; stir in reserved chopped pepper and onion. Place peppers, filled side up, in cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 6 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
3. To serve, transfer peppers to serving plate and cut in half, if desired. Spoon tomato sauce over peppers and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 stuffed peppers.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 283, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 19 mg, Sodium 407 mg, Carbohydrate 40 g, Total Sugar 8 g, Fiber 9 g, Protein 15 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Exchanges: Vegetable 2, Starch 2, High-Fat Meat .5, Fat .5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Saucy Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup cornflakes, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano, crushed, or 1 teaspoon snipped fresh basil or oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/3 cups spaghetti sauce
4 ounces dried spaghetti, fettuccine, or other pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Fresh herb sprigs (optional)


Directions
1. Place each piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, lightly pound to flatten slightly (about 1/2 inch thick). Remove plastic wrap.
2. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a shallow dish combine egg white and the water. In another shallow dish combine crushed cornflakes, the 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, the Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture. Place coated chicken pieces in prepared baking pan.
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (170 degrees F).
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm spaghetti sauce over low heat. Divide pasta among 4 dinner plates. Place chicken on top of pasta. Spoon spaghetti sauce over chicken. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish with fresh herb sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 312, Total Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Sodium 566 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 34 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Exchanges: Vegetable .5, Starch 1, Other Carbohydrate 1.5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Pasta with Eggplant Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1 medium onion, chopped
1 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, cut up, undrained
1 6-ounce can Italian-style tomato paste
1 4-ounce can (drained weight) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives or pitted ripe olives, sliced
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked penne pasta
1/3 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)


Directions
1. Peel eggplant, if desired; cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes. In a 3-1/2- to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker, combine eggplant, onion, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, wine or broth, the water, garlic, and oregano.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
3. Stir in olives and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta with Parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 263, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 3 mg, Sodium 845 mg, Carbohydrate 47 g, Total Sugar 8 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 10 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Exchanges: Vegetable 1.5, Starch 2, Other Carbohydrate .5, Fat .5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Beef Strips With Vermicelli

Ingredients

8 ounces boneless beef top round steak
4 ounces packaged dried vermicelli or spaghetti
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 14-1/2-ounce can tomato wedges
1 9-ounce package frozen Italian-style green beans or cut green beans
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 of a 6-ounce can (1/3 cup) Italian-style tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


Directions
1. Partially freeze meat. Trim fat from meat. Thinly slice meat across the grain into bite-size strips.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add meat and onion. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until done.
4. Stir in undrained tomato wedges, green beans, mushrooms, tomato paste, fennel seed (if desired), and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 7 to 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
5. Arrange pasta on individual plates or a large platter. Spoon the sauce over pasta. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

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Phyllo Tarts with Ricotta and Raspberries

Ingredients

5 sheets phyllo dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Drain ricotta cheese in a sieve for 20 minutes; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 6 3-inch loose-bottomed tart pans with nonfat cooking spray.
Leave phyllo sheets in a stack and use a ruler to trace 6 5-inch squares onto top sheet (3 squares across and 2 squares down). Using a sharp knife, cut along traced lines, through all 5 sheets of dough. Immediately line each tart pan with 5 sheets of dough, lightly brushing melted butter or margarine between each layer. Trim edges of dough.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, egg, orange rind, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Pour an equal amount of mixture into each tart pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool tarts slightly, then arrange raspberries on top. To serve, remove tarts from pans and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

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How to Make Chocolate Cake

QUICK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cold water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ice cream (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
Powdered suger (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, the water, the vegetable oil, cocoa powder, baking soda, white vinegar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until well combined. Pour batter into a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If desired, serve with ice cream or whipped cream, or dust with powdered sugar.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 359, Total Fat (g)13, Saturated Fat (g)1, Sodium (mg)406, Carbohydrate (g)59, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)4, Calcium (DV%)1, Iron (DV%)11. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

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10 Reasons Why I Hate My Diet

hree weeks ago on the advice, no let’s be more accurate, the DIRECT ORDER of my cantankerous & curmudgeonly doctor I went on a diet. So I thought it was time to check in with an update on the 10 Reasons Why I Hate My Diet.

1 – I hate my diet because it has the letters “D – I – E” in it and early on it felt like it too….but it hasn’t killed me yet so I might as well keep going.

2 – I hate my diet because it says you should drink DECAF coffee with fat free half & half….but there are some things in life I can’t do and decaf with my 2 hour commute is a definitely one of those things so I am still having my KAHUNA sized travel mug on the way to the train but I have stuck with the fat free half & half (oxymoron) and stopped getting the double espresso from the office swill machine.

3 – I hate my diet because I can’t eat regular bacon and we all know that bacon makes everything better and this diet needs a lot of help in becoming even tolerable….but turkey bacon, while having fake white stripes that crack me up, and Canadian bacon aren’t actually half bad. In fact, as a kid I used to order Canadian bacon whenever I saw it on the menu so in some ways my diet is nostalgic.

4 – I hate my diet because during the first few weeks you aren’t allowed fruit yogurt which to my son isn’t a bad idea at all as he can’t stand yogurt even though I try to tell him that it is fruit pudding….but I couldn’t give up my morning fat free yogurt so I didn’t. My diet was just going to have to live with that.

5 – I hate my diet because I am addicted to chocolate and there are no two ways about it, chocolate is not allowed….but I will have to give it up to the people at Baskin-Robbins who have made great SUGAR FREE Mint Chocolate Chip and SUGAR FREE Cookies & Cream hard candies. My daughter swears that if you freeze them, they taste like a nugget of ice cream in your mouth and they are only 10 calories.

6 – I hate my diet because I had to start it just before my daughter’s birthday and my birthday and my daughter’s birthday party and a Mother’s Day Brunch so there were plenty of minefields and culinary booby traps in my path….but I didn’t let those bother me, I had a sliver of cake for my daughter, I had a slice of cake for me, I had a sip of a Red Velvet Cupcake Smoothie for the party and I skipped dessert and had sugar free jello when I got home from the Mother’s Day Brunch instead.

7 – I hate my diet because I can’t eat fruit during the first couple of weeks and I love fruit….but those first few weeks are almost over and in checking the booklet I see that pineapple, watermelon & raisins seem to be the only fruits I can’t have. Summer is almost here and not only do I love watermelon but I have a couple of great watermelon ties so we shall have to see about this one.

8 – I hate my diet because I need to run every morning at 3:45am so I can still catch my train in the morning and see my kids at a somewhat decent hour each night….but getting up early to workout (which I used to do a lot before I got fat) actually isn’t so bad now that I have a DVR on the basement TV. Combine that with Xfinity On Demand and I actually have something to watch other than infomercials & repeats of Joy Behar while I count down the miles.

9 – I hate my diet because it says that Gatorade is not a beverage that is allowed…. but if you think I am going to run 3+ miles every morning and work on my garden outside and only drink water, then you are crazy. I drink one bottle of Gatorade (17.5 oz) every 2 days during the week and 1 to 2 a day on Saturday & Sunday depending on how much work I am doing. I shoveled 7 cubic yards of dirt this past Saturday so I might have had an extra bottle.

10 – I hate my diet because during this first phase, pasta is not allowed and I have to go to a lot of charity events & cocktails parties where I have discovered that pasta is served a lot….but having to cut back on most cocktail party & charity dinner foodstuffs other than beef, veggies & cheese actually hasn’t been so bad. My lovely wife (and partner in dieting crime) has been extremely amenable to just make an appearance and get the hell out so I am spending less time standing around eating goat cheese puffs and slimy stuff on a stupid. (As an side to all caterers out there – stop serving food on a spoon unless the server is going to stand there and wait for me to slurp whatever the hell it is in there)

BONUS # 10 (because I don’t know how to count) – I hate my diet because I love desserts and I have always had a sweet tooth….but where there is a will, there is a way and with the help of Fat Free Cool Whip, Sugar Free Jell-o, Splenda, Light Ricotta Cheese, Vanilla extract and Werther’s Sugar Free Caramel Coffee, Caramel Cinnamon & Caramel Mint hard candies I have been able to keep my sweet tooth somewhat at bay. I did make one of those weight watchers diet soda cakes and the kids liked it. I had a small bite and will try it again but I will bake it longer and will try a different flavor – the lemon cake dominated the diet orange soda.

So with all this hating of my diet, how have the results been you ask ? Well head to your pantry or to the baking aisle at your local grocery store and pick up a 5lb bag of sugar. Now pick up another one. If you can, pick up one more and start walking around. Now put them down and start walking around again. It isn’t easy carrying 15 extra pounds around with you and I bet it felt good to put the bags down. Well 15lbs (as of last Friday, I refuse to weigh myself on a Monday Morning) is what I have lost so far and it does feel good to get the weight off again. I am eyeing that 4th bag of sugar as we speak.

Come back next time when we discuss what I am watching at 3:45am as I run and how I am doing once I transition to Phase 2 of the diet and start adding back some forbidden foods who’s absence have helped me lose as much as I have.

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Grilled Chicken Parm Cheese

Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese

a;lkdsfkdsfkadslkjf;jldkfjf!!! That’s the only way I can think of to express my excitement about this sandwich through words over the Internet. This Chicken Parm grilled cheese idea had been floating around in my head for a long time but I never gave it a shot. I thought critically about the construction of it. The bread has got to be right, I used a good Italian bread. The cheese should be a good quality fresh mozz, although I have a hunch that the dried mozz would melt quicker (give it a shot and let me know). The chicken cutlet MUST be pounded out thin. When we talk about grilled cheese, its all about proportions. You can’t have a thick breaded chicken breast in there, it just doesn’t work like that, its not a grilled cheese. The tomato sauce needs to be simple and fresh. There are four ingredients in mine. I start with thinly sliced garlic and basil stems that cook in olive oil to flavor the oil. Then I pour in a can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, some salt and I cook it for about 30 minutes and then blend it smooth. At the end, check for salt, tomatoes NEED salt and depending on the acidity, one can may need more salt than another so you must taste it. Its fool-proof! But the kicker in this sandwich is the fresh basil leaves. It really brings home the Italian flavors. This sandwich makes me proud. PLEASE try this recipe, its amazing, you will cry tears of joy, just DO IT (and email me a pic of it because its basically food porn…and I love that! thefoodfreak@gmail.com)

Ingredients:

1 Homemade breaded organic chicken breast, pounded thinly. Try to create a piece of chicken that will fit the shape of the bread that you use.

1/2 Cup (4-5 slices) Mozzarella cheese

4-5 Fresh basil leaves

2 Slices of a Italian Bread

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Mayo, instead of butter for spreading on the outside of the bread.

_________________________________________________

Thinly slice up the mozz.

Take your cooked chicken cutlet and dip it in hot tomato sauce. The reason I highlight hot is because mozzarella can be difficult to fully melt. By having the sauce hot, it helps cook the grilled cheese from the inside out, helping to speed up the process.

To assemble the sandwich, place about 2 slices of mozzarella on each side of the bread along with 2-3 basil leaves. Then lay the hot tomato sauce covered chicken cutlet on one side and close up the sandwich.

Evenly spread the mayo all over the outside surface of the bread.

It’s best to use a cast iron pan if you have one, if not, a good non-stick works fine. You don’t want the heat too hot but you don’t want it too low either. You have to find a happy medium. Don’t melt butter the pan, the mayo browns the bread really nicely. You could use a butter/mayo mix as well, that’s probably the best. Some grilled cheese places will say they have a “special” spread that crisps the bread up real nice…yea, that’s just mayo and butter.

Cook it until the bread it nicely golden brown and then carefully flip it. Cook the same way on the other side. If the cheese isn’t fully melted but both sides are browned keep flipping the sandwich to keep it on the heat but preventing it from getting burnt.

Once the cheese is melted, cut the sandwich in half and revel in the absolute beauty of this beast.

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Clams and Pasta in Parsley Wine Sauce

2 tbsp butter 25 mL
2 oz thinly sliced pancetta 60 g
or prosciutto, cut in
thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced 3
† cup chopped fresh parsley 75 mL
oe tsp hot pepper flakes 1 mL
˙ cup bottled clam juice 125 mL
˙ cup dry white wine 125 mL
2 lb littleneck or Manila 1 kg
clams
12 oz linguine or fettuccine 375 g
pasta
¡In large deep heavy skillet, melt butter
over medium-high heat; cook pancetta,
stirring often, just until turning golden,
about 3 minutes. Transfer to plate.
¡Drain off all but 1 tbsp (15 mL) fat from
pan. Add garlic, 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the parsley
and hot pepper flakes; cook, stirring, for
1 minute. Pour in clam juice and wine; bring
to boil. Add clams; cover and cook until
clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any
that do not open.
¡Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted
water, cook pasta until tender but firm, 8 to
10 minutes. Drain and add to clam mixture
along with pancetta; toss to coat. Serve
sprinkled with remaining parsley.
Makes 4 servings. PER SERVING: about 454 cal,
17 g pro, 12 g total fat (5 g sat. fat), 66 g carb,
4 g fibre, 33 mg chol, 530 mg sodium. % RDI: 5% calcium,
51% iron, 12% vit A, 15% vit C, 60% folate

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Healthy Grill Recipe Ratatouille Vegetable

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 medium onions
1 garlic clove
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium aubergine
2 medium courgettes
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
1 bouquet garni
2 tbsp tomato puree
900 g potatoes
75 g reduced fat Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
2 tbsp snipped fresh chives, to garnish

Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Rinse, deseed and slice the bell peppers. Rinse, trim and cut the aubergine into small dice. Rinse, trim and thinly slice the courgettes.
Place the onion, garlic and bell peppers into a pan. Add the tomatoes, and stir in the bouquet garni, tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Stir in the aubergine and courgettes and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 2.5 cm cubes. Place the potatoes into another saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside until required.
Transfer the vegetables to a heatproof gratin dish. Arrange the cooked potato cubes evenly over the vegetables.
Preheat the grill to medium. Sprinkle grated cheese over the potatoes and place under the grill for 5 minutes until golden, bubbling and hot. Serve garnished with freshly snipped chives.

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